Bomb rack and control



Jan. 3, 1933. 5, HALSEY 1,893,232

BOMB RACK AND CONTROL Filed Aug. 7, 1925 INVENTOR. A. 5. HALSEY ATTORNE).

Patented a... s, 1933 a" or BOMB RACK AND CONTROL Application filed August This invention relates to improvements in bomb racks carried by aircraft and the control therefor.

In many of the present types of bomb racks carried by aircraft the arming and trip mechanisms are worked by separate control devices preferably located in the cockpit of the aircraft which mechanism requires a number of lead wires which must go back through the wings of the plane to the bomb racks.

In the present improved bomb rack, this mechanism'is simplified by providing a single arming lever and dropping or release lever, both operating through the same lead wires whereby the bombs may be dropped either armable or safe with the same direction of pull on the dropping lever.

In the bomb rack hereinafter described, any number of bombs may be carried depending upon the number of units a plane can carry, each unit usually carrying fourteen or more bombs.

It is also optional with the operator to change from armable to safe condition at any time by merely moving the arming lever to a designated position.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to provide a simple and practical mechanism which may be easily applied to aircraft and praticularly airplanes now in use with a minimum amount of alteration to present installations.

A further object is to provide a substantially foolproof operating gear for releasing or dropping bombs either in safe or armable condition as circumstances require.

A further object is to provide 'a reliable, durable and eflicient mechanism of the last above mentioned character which may be easily and quickly assembled and installed.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawing illustrating such parts of the complete mechanism as is necessary for one skilled in the art to thoroughly understand the same.

In "the drawing, where similar parts are designated by corresponding reference numerals, v

Figure 1 shows an elevational view of the pivot 10.

7, 1925. Serial No. 48,762.

arming and trip control adapted to be located in the observer s cockpit of the plane.-

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the bomb rack with the bombs and bomb hooks, the rack rods being turned 90 out of position for the sake of clearness.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the release and arming hook unit on a larger scale than shown in Figure 2, the arming hook being in armed position.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the release and arming hook with the arming lever in safe position.

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the same parts showing the hook in tripped position.

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the book inftripped position with the bombs dropped sa e.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, in the improved bomb rack the trip control lever l is preferably pivoted at the point 9 on a plate 14 and is moved to the dotted line position when the, trip is released in order to drop the bombs either safe or armable.

An arming lever 2, of Figure 1, when moved to the dotted line position, reverses '.the motion of a, sheave 3 whereby one may ob- .tain either a clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation of the sheave 18, Figure 2.

When the arming lever 2 is moved rearward, a continuous wire cable 15 is fixed to the sheaves 3 and 18 by screws 16 and 17 and motion is respectively synchronized. Thus when the lever 2 is pulled to the right, it forces the beveled end of a bolt 4. over pin 5 and simultaneously disengages pin 6. A plate 7 upon which lever 2 'is mounted together with bolt 4 and which is pivoted to the lever 1 by pin 8 is carried downwardly thereby ro-. tating the lever on its fulcrum 9 and giving a clockwise rotation to the sheave 3 about its The lever 2 when moved to the left forces the other end of the bolt 4 over pin 6 thus disengaging pin 5 so that when the plate 7 is pulled downwardly onmovement of lever 1, it

will give a counter-clockwise rotation of the sheaves 3 and 18. The lever 2 is held in extreme position to the right or left by-meansof a toggle joint and spring construction 11, 12 and 13.

When the arming lever 2 is shifted from armable to same position, the bevel on the lower side of the bolt slides over the pin 6 in sheave 3 and gives suflicient movement to the sheave 3 to move the arming hook 30 so that it will clear the slot 32 shown in Figure 6.

Thus for continuous dropping of bombs in a safe condition there is no chance of the arming hook 3O ever engaging the safety wire 31 extending between the arming propeller and the body of the bomb.

For the armable position, just the opposite is true, that is, the arming hook 30 never clears the slot 32 thus insuring a disengagemgilt of the Wire 31 from the arming prope er.

The sheave 18 of Figure 2 when rotated imparts reciprocating motion to arming lever connecting rod 19 and tripping lever connecting rod 20 but whether the rotation of sheave 18 be in one direction or the other the trip ping lever connecting rod 20 will always move forwardly while the arming lever connecting rod 19 will move forwardly or backwardly due to the location of its pivot pin on .the sheave. Consequently for rotation of sheave 18 motion is imparted through levers 23 and 24, the ratchet trip bar '25 and sear 26 to a release hook 27.

At the .same time motion is imparted through the lever 28 to arming rod. 29 and arming hook 30 to either engage or disengage the arming wire 31 ,in slot 32 depending upon the direction of rotation of the sheave 18. The ratchet trip bar may have the trip slot-s cut to obtain any arrangement or dropping combination desired.

It is believed that the'construction and operation of the mechanism will be clear to those skilled in the art from the above.

. It may be stated, however, in'brief, that as the lever 2 is moved either to the right or left so will the mechanism shown inv Figure :2 be actuated to cause the arming hook to as sume the position shown in either Figure 6 or Figure 7 Then a simple movement of the I operating lever 1 will cause the release mechanism to function whereby the bomb is dropped either safe or'armable as desired.

ile only a portion of the bomb rack is shown in Figure 2, it is, of course to be understood that these bomb racks may contain any desired number of bombs and the units duplicated as often as permissible by reason of the size of the machine.

It will thus be seen that the present inven tion contemplates a simple and practicable mechanism particularly adapted for releasing bombs in armable or safe position as deslred with aminimum amount of effort. The invention is of simple and practical construction, may be inexpensively installed and is well adapted to accomplish, among others, allof the objects and advantages herein set forth.

. What I claim is 1. In a mechanism of the character described, a bomb rack, means for placing a mechanism in position whereby bombs may tion upon their being released from the rack,

and independent means operable through said mechanisms, after it has been placed in one of the desired positions, for releasing the bombs.

3. In combination with a bomb rack for aircraft releasing means for dropping the bombs in either safe or armed position as desired, operating and setting means located in the cockpitof the machine, and a single pair 'of wires leading from said first means to the bomb rack. 4. In combination with a bomb rack having releasing means, including means for dropping the bomb either safe or armed as desired, operating, and setting means therefor connected with said release mechanism, sa d means including an operating lever and a setting lever and means whereby a single movement of the operating lever in one direction will release the bombs either safe or armed in accordance with the position of the setting means. A

5. In a mechanism of the character described, abomb rack, a bomb arming linkage, means-for setting the linkage whereby the bombs are released in either a safe or armed I condition, and means for releasing the bombs in either of said conditions by movement of said means in a single direction.

Signed at \Vashington, District of Columbia, this 27th day of July, 1925.

ARTI-TTTR SHERMAN HALSEY. 

